Turntable Talk #19 – A Design For Life

Once again, our friend Dave from A Sound Day has offered up a great topic for his Turntable Talk feature. If you are keeping track, this is the 19th round. The topic for this round came from his post on the Bobby McFerrin song, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy!” Dave says, “the topic for us at hand is – A Design For Life...musical philosophies.  Put your thinking caps on and highlight a song that explains how to live better, a sort of personal mantra if you will! Or at least tells others how to live and move through these complicated times.“

As I thought on what song to pick, many came to mind. Let It Be by the Beatles would certainly work. Baz Luhrmann’s Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen is another perfect one. I could even go with You Can’t Always Get What You Want by the Rolling Stones, but I decided against them all.

As I write this, Dave has sent out the schedule to all the bloggers who are participating, so we know when our piece will post. This blog will post second to last. That means that it is very possible that someone will pick the song that I have chosen. I can hope that my gut instincts will show that the other bloggers will continue to steer away from country music and avoid my pick.

My wife listens to music as she gets read for work every day. She usually puts on her Pandora and it shuffles through her favorite pages. This is where I first heard my song choice – Tim McGraw’s Humble and Kind.

The song was written by songwriter Lori McKenna. She told the Tennessean:

“That song is a selfish little poem/lullaby that a mother of five wrote for her kids one day. At that point, my oldest is 25 and my youngest is 10, when I wrote it five or six years ago. I dropped off the kids at school, and I sat at my dining room table with my coffee and started thinking about all the things that Gene and I wanted to make sure we told the kids.

There’s so much information there. A parent can go on and on and on forever about what they want their kids to know. I know there was a lot of information going in. I did worry about getting preachy and I stopped myself really quickly and remembered I wasn’t writing this for anyone else. I was writing this for myself and for my kids. I sort of thought of it that way. If someone gives me trouble, oh well. I literally kept them in my focus.

I sent it to Tim and he had a melodic change in the chorus that he did that took me a long time to figure out what the subtle change is. It was just enough to make it commercial. He brought it to a place I still can’t believe.

When asked about recording the song, Tim McGraw stated that he “cried during every take.”

It really is a powerful song with a simple message, but it is a message that is much needed in today’s society. It is almost a play on the quote that is often thrown around, “In a world where you can be anything – be kind.”

Tim McGraw actually used clips from Oprah’s series, “Belief” for the video of the song. Give it a listen and as you make your way through this crazy world – remember to be humble and kind:

“Humble And Kind”

You know there’s a light that glows by the front door
Don’t forget the key’s under the mat
When childhood stars shine
Always stay humble and kind

Go to church ’cause your mamma says to
Visit grandpa every chance that you can
It won’t be wasted time
Always stay humble and kind

Hold the door, say “please”, say “thank you”
Don’t steal, don’t cheat, and don’t lie
I know you got mountains to climb
But always stay humble and kind
When the dreams you’re dreamin’ come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride
But always stay humble and kind

Don’t expect a free ride from no one
Don’t hold a grudge or a chip and here’s why
Bitterness keeps you from flyin’
Always stay humble and kind

Know the difference between sleeping with someone
And sleeping with someone you love
“I love you” ain’t no pick-up line
So always stay humble and kind

Hold the door, say “please”, say “thank you”
Don’t steal, don’t cheat, and don’t lie
I know you got mountains to climb
But always stay humble and kind
When those dreams you’re dreamin’ come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride
But always stay humble and kind

When it’s hot, eat a root beer popsicle
Shut off the AC and roll the windows down
Let that summer sun shine
Always stay humble and kind

Don’t take for granted the love this life gives you
When you get where you’re going don’t forget turn back around
And help the next one in line
Always stay humble and kind